| Listen to recent Learning the Birds episodes: |
 Anting - Certain birds engage in a ritual known as anting, in which they dose themselves with formic acid found in ants. We explore why 200 different kinds of birds worldwide have been caught in the act of anting.
(aired 07/27/10) |
 Mobbing - Summer is a time when birds are often seen mobbing one another. Understanding this avian behavior can help us follow what's really taking place up there in the sky.
(aired 07/20/10) |
 Cuckoo - The cry of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a sound like no other, a haunting call like the direst of warnings. We learn more about a secretive widespread bird that many know as the Rain Crow.
(aired 07/13/10) |
 Snipe Hunt - Some of us thought that a snipe hunt was a made-up game, but the actual birds known as Wilson's Snipe are a popular game bird in North America, and snipe of all kinds are hunted avidly in much of the world.
(aired 07/06/10) |
 Birding by Canoe - Guest Host Cyndie Browning takes us on a birding trip by canoe through Caddo Lake, a cypress habitat that predates any other lake in Texas.
(aired 06/29/10) |
 Goodnight Swallows - Guest Host Cyndie Browning explains how legendary plainsman Charles Goodnight learned to follow swallows to water.
(aired 06/22/10) |
 Wild Turkey Anatomy - We investigate the anatomy of a Wild Turkey which, in addition to the usual pieces and parts, also includes snoods, dewlaps, and caruncles (both major and minor)
(aired 06/15/10) |
 Towhees - A Towhee may look like a red-eyed robin, but it's really a ground-dwelling sparrow with very noisy habits.
(aired 06/08/10) |
 Mountain Bluebirds - Moutain Bluebirds may be the bluest bluebirds of all, described by many admirers as a scrap of blue sky come to life. And as luck would have it, they're often found in the prairies as well as the mountains.
(aired 06/01/10) |
 Western Bluebirds - Western and Eastern Bluebirds are nearly identical except for the color of their throats. We learn about the less common blue-throated Western Bluebird today on Learning the Birds.
(aired 05/25/10) |
 Eastern Bluebirds - The Eastern Bluebird might have disappeared from North America if not for a grassroots conservation effort that helped save this gorgeous native bird. Learn how to build your own bluebird trail today on Learning the Birds.
(aired 05/18/10) |
 Bluebirds - May is the Bluebird month on Learning the Birds, and we begin by investigating just what makes a bluebird blue. It turns out feather color isn't always what it seems.
(aired 05/12/10) |
 Red-shouldered Hawks - The Red-shouldered Hawk may be the most beautiful raptor in the North American skies, but their nubers are in decline. We learn about efforts to protect this useful native bird.
(aired 04/27/10 |
 Night Herons - Night Herons lead a difficult life- tormented by crows, hawks, and vultures by day, and by raccoons and other animals at night. We consider the mid-sized, nocturnal, and allegedly delectable Night Herons, both Black and Yellow crowned.
(aired 04/20/10) |
 The Wood Thrush - Many consider the wood thrush song the most beautiful melody in bird world. Is it possible that the great French composer Gounod would agree?
(aired 04/13/10) |
 The Albatross - We go far afield to consider the albatross- a celebrated seabird some describe as a "super-efficient high-speed gliding machine."
(aired 04/06/10) |
 Marsh Wrens - Marsh Wrens are often heard but rarely seen in reedy High Plains places, and are fond of building dummy nests in addition to their own.
(aired 03/30/10) |
 Pinyon Jays - We meet the Blue Jays round-headed cousin, the Rocky Mountain Pinyon Jay, a bird with a sociable nature and an incredible spatial memory.
(aired 03/23/10) |
 Cormorants - Another odd waterbird is the Cormorant, a seedy-looking mud-colored bird with a surly demeanor. We seek a positive slant on these unpopular fish-eaters.
(aired 03/16/10) |
 Cardinals - Ruth contends that, out of all our beautiful backyard birds, the congenial Cardinals rule.
(aired 03/09/10) |
 Grebes - We meet an odd family of waterbirds, the grebes, and learn to recognize their unusual profiles.
(aired 03/02/10) |
 Winter Warblers - Winter weather keeps most warblers away, but the Yellow-rumped Warbler is a widespread winter visitor. We learn more about this hardy little bird that's names for its bright yellow rump.
(aired 02/23/10) |
 Collared Doves - Mourning Doves aren't the only doves on the block anymore. We consider the invasive, prolific, and omnipresent Eurasian Collared Doves.
(aired 02/16/10) |
 Love is For the Birds - In early spring, many birds are already declaring their passionate intentions. We celebrate Valentine's Day by listening to the love calls of some High Plains birds.
(aired 02/09/10) |
 Brewer's Blackbirds - We consider the widespread but little known Brewer's Blackbirds--uncommonly lovely birds with a distinctive flight style.
(aired 02/02/10) |
 White-crowned Sparrow - We meet a sparrow once known as the farmer's friend, the lively, lovely and very melodious White-crowned Sparrow.
(aired 01/26/10) |
 Red Finch Reverie - After some frustration, Ruth learns a trick for telling red finches apart. She'll help us sort our House from Purple Finches using both sound and sight.
(aired 01/19/10) |
 Birdsong - We celebrate the sound of birds with a medley of familiar birdsong, and discover how many songs we already know.
(aired 01/12/10) |
 Conversion - Ruth explains how her first good look at a Red-shafted Flicker turned her into a bird watcher all at once.
(aired 01/05/10) |
Learning the Birds
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